Folding camera



I \MI J EEEES:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. D. MILBURN.

FOLDING CAMERA.

No. 530,955. Patented Dec. 18,1894.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. D. MILBURN.

FOLDING CAMERA.

No. 530,955. Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE D. MILBURN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FOLDING CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,955, dated December 18, 1894.

Application filed, July 7, 1894. Serial No. 516,814. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE D. MILBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Folding Cameras, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of photographic cameras, which improvements are fully described and illustrated in the following specification and the accompanying drawings,- the novel features thereof being specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

In the accompanying drawings representing my improvementsFigure 1 is a side view of my camera closed. Fig. 2 represents the same open and in position for focusing. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation,-the ground-glass being omitted. Fig. i is a front view of the forward bellows-frame. Fig. 5 is a central horizontal section on the line 5--5 Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 represent the internal arms which support the bellows, in different positions.

My improved camera consists essentially of a suitable body A, of any suitable dimensions, a bellows B, provided at its forward end with the sliding focusing-tube O, which carries the lens D, and the folding plate-holder-carrier E. The camera is also provided with the usual ground-glass frame or focusing screen F.

The appearance of the camera when closed is represented in the side view, Fig. 1, and when opened, as in Fig. 2, the bellows is supported internally by a series of jointed arms or levers, I, Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7. The focusing is accomplished by means of the sliding tube 0, which maybe adjusted by a rack and pinion operated by a milled head G or other suitable device. The pivoted arms I are located entirely within the bellows,-being attached at their ends to the front and rear bellowsframes respectively, and by this means the lens is firmly supported in suitable relation with the focusing screen,-the usual folding front, employed to support the forward end of the bellows and the lens being entirely dispensed with.

H represents the rear bellows-frame, and J the front bel1ows-frame. The bellows is attached in anysuitable way to the outer sides of the frames. The rear frame H is secured within the body of the camera, while the front frame J is supported entirely from the rear frame by the jointed arms I. The arrangement is such that when the bellows is drawn all the way out,the slide 0 being also drawn forward to the extent of its movement, the camera will be focused for distant objects, say those at a distance of one hundred feet or more. For nearer objects, the slide C may be racked back by the milled head G and rack a, Fig. 1, a scale I) being provided on the side or back of the slide. The milled head G is secured to the outer end of a rod which extends inward through the front bellows-frame, and carries a pinion which meshes with the rack a. The arrangementdescribed facilitates the making of quick snap-shot exposures, as the operator readily learns to draw out the bellows and slide to the proper distance by a single movement,-the friction of the slide being sufficient to extend the bellows fully before it begins to move. The slide is provided with guides, e, Fig. l, which fit notches in the front K attached to the front bellows frame. The lens is made to slide up and down by being attached to a movable plate g, secured to the slide 0 by the bent strips d,a thumb-screw f being provided to secure the lens in any desired position.

Any suitable form of lens and shutter may be employed,-the shutter patented to Turner, May 22, 189$, being specially adapted to my improved camera. The slide 0 projects inward between the Walls of adouble tube, L,

Fig. 5, attached to the front K. The front end of the slide C is closed by a plate, h, Figs. 3 and 5, provided only with an opening which permits the adjustment of the lens up and down. The tube L is closed at its rear end, and it effectually excludes light from the camera, while permitting the free movement of the slide.

The jointed arms which support the belows, may be either double, as indicated at I, Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7, or single, as represented at I, Fig. 3. At their rear-ends they are pivoted at 7.; to a plate j fastened to the interior of the rear bellows-frame H. Around the pivot it is placed a spring or friction washer Z,-

IOC

which affords a certain amount of resistance to the movements of the arms, and will hold the bellows in any position to which it may be adjusted. The arms I arejointed together at m. A stop n, Figs. 6 and 7, on the plate 3' serves to limit the movements of the arms, which are provided with lugs 0 which make contact with the stop. The arms are attached at their forward ends to the front bellows-frame by the pivot 7c, plate j and the washer Z. It will be observed that the arms are so proportioned relatively to the expansion of the bellows, that they are never entirely straightened out, but occupy such an angle as not to prevent the shutting up of the bellows. In order to provide for locking the arms when the bellows is fully distended, I employ the catches shown in Figs. 4 and 6. These catches may be arranged in any convenient way, and they may be applied either to the arms on two opposite sides or to all the arms.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4c, the catches are represented as operated by the pushes p p. The catches r r are arranged so that when the lugs o 0 on the arms I move inward over them, as the bellows is expanded, they snap over the edges of the lugs, and hold the arms from being swung outward, and consequentl y the bellows from being closed, until the catches are withdrawn from their engagement with the lugs. The catches are provided with any suitable form of spring which urges them inward. By pressing the push p inward, the lever q is caused to turn on the pivot s, and the catches r 'r' r" are disengaged from the lugs on the arms, so that the bellows can be closed up. The catches r r are on the lever q, but the catch r" is carried by a spring-arm t, the inner end of which makes contact with the projection u on the lever. A similar arrangement is adopted on the opposite sides of the front bellows frame.

It will be understood that the internal arms permit any desired adjustment of the front end of the bellows and of the lens relative to the sensitive plate. Thus if the catches be omitted, as in Fig. 7, the front bellows frame may be set at any desired angle in either direction,such for instance as J ',-with the rear frame,-the arms at the sides of the bellows yielding enough to permit their adj ustment. A similar adjustment may also be made when the catches are used, by taking care not to pull the bellows out far enough to engage the catches with the lugs on the arms. This capacity for adjustment in the bellows, enables the photographer to place the lens in any desired relation with the plate, so that my improved camera is adapted to making satisfactory negatives under circumstances not within the range of ordinary instruments.

The camera is provided with a door N through which access is had to the space in rear of the body to insert or remove the plateholder. Such door is provided with any suitable form of catch or locking device. For

convenience of focusing, the plate-holder carrier E is hinged to the upper rear edge of the body, so that it may be folded over the top of the camera,as represented in Fig. 2,-in which position thereis nothing to interfere with the full view of the whole of the ground glass. The carrier consists of a plate 1) having a receptacle for plate-holders formed thereon by the partition w,the ends of which are bent and secured to the plate. The receptacle is made of sufficient size to contain any desired number of plate-holders. The ground glass frame F is held against the rear bellows-frame by means of the springs a" or, which are socured to the metallic plates y y which project rearward from the frame H above and below the focusing screen. The springs a: or,

permit a plate holder to be inserted between the focusing screen and the frame II. A ledge a on the side of the frame II, and fitting a corresponding recess or groove in the plateholders and the focusing frame serves to exclude light at this point. The carrier is attached to the camera when closed by any suitable form of catch.

I am aware that cameras have been supplied with hinged doors and I do not claim such device.

My improvement is characterized by a hinged plate-holder-carrier such as hereinbefore set forth and by such carrier combined with a door.

I claim 1. The combination, in a photographic camera, of the expansible bellows, the internal jointed supporting arms, and a movable catch adapted to engage and retain the movable arms when the bellows is fully distended, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a photographic camera, of the expansible bellows, the internal jointed supporting arms, a friction device adapted to retain the arms in any desired position, a movable catch adapted to engage and retain the arms when the bellows is fully distended, and an adjustable lens-support at the front of the bellows, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a photographic camera, of the expansible bellows B, having frames II and J, the jointed supporting arms I, pivoted to the front and rear frames respect ively, and a movable catch, as 1', arranged to lock the arms when the bellows is fully distended, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a photographic camera, of the expansible bellows, the internal jointed supporting arms located on the four sides of the bellows, and means for simultaneously locking the arms when the bellows is fully distended, said means comprising pins situated in the path of the arms and between them to prevent their closing and catches engaging the arms to prevent their opening, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a photographic camera, of the expansible bellows the internal supporting arms, an adj ust-able slide, and a camera of the carrier E and a plate holder atlens on the slide, arranged so that the camera tached to and movable with said carrier, the is focused for distant objects when the bellatter being hinged to the rear of the camera lows is fully distended and the slide fully whereby it may be turned back to expose to 15 5 drawn out, said slide being supported by the unobstructed View the ground glass, and a bellows and held thefreto by friction and the door N, substantially as set forth. bellows supported rom its opposite end, whereby the bellows may be fully drawn out GUSTAVE MILBURN by the slide and the latter then independently Witnesses:

10 extended, substantially as set forth. VALENTINE J. LONG, Jr.,

6. The combination with a photographic GEO. B. SELDEN. 

